Nebraska Governor Announces Plans to Convert State Prison Into ICE Detention Center Dubbed 'Cornhusker Clink'

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has announced plans to convert a minimum-security prison work camp in McCook into an immigration detention center as part of a broader expansion of federal deportation infrastructure.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the facility — nicknamed the "Cornhusker Clink" — will provide up to 280 beds for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"COMING SOON to Nebraska: Cornhusker Clink," said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in an official statement published on the agency's website. "Thanks to Governor Pillen for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Nebraska's Cornhusker Clink. Avoid arrest and self deport now using the CBP Home App."

The agreement was made possible by recent legislation dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill" by the Trump administration, which funded 80,000 additional ICE detention beds and bolstered the 287(g) program, a federal-local enforcement partnership.

Governor Pillen confirmed that the state will support the effort not only through the facility, but also by deploying about 20 Nebraska National Guard soldiers for administrative and logistical support. The McCook work camp currently houses 186 people, who will be relocated to other corrections facilities. "This is about keeping Nebraskans – and Americans across our country – safe," Pillen said in a statement reported by CBS News.

The plan has drawn criticism from some state officials and residents. Nebraska state senator Megan Hunt argued in a video on social media that the process has lacked transparency, citing unanswered records requests to the governor's office. She also added:

"The No. 1 thing we need to do is protect our neighbors, protect the people in our communities who are being targeted by these horrible people, these horrible organizations that are making choices to lock up, detain, disappear our neighbors and families and friends"

The McCook facility is one of several new detention centers announced in recent months. Others include Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz," Indiana's planned "Speedway Slammer," and a facility in Tennessee. According to internal planning documents obtained by The Washington Post, the administration aims to expand detention capacity nationwide to more than 107,000 beds by January 2026, through at least 125 facilities.